Volleyball 8/31/2017 4:20:00 PM Corey Miggins, Sports Information Director

Chicago State Volleyball Heads to California This Weekend for the UCR/CSF Invite

Cougars face UC Riverside, Cal State Fullerton and Southern Utah in two-day tournament

Match #4
Chicago State (1-2) at UC Riverside (2-1)
Friday, Sept. 1, 2017 - 2 p.m., CT
SRC Arena - Riverside, Calif.
Live Stats

Match #5
Chicago State at Cal State Fullerton (2-1)
Friday, Sept. 1, 2017 - 9 p.m., CT
Titan Gym - Fullerton, Calif.
Live Video - Live Stats

Match #6
Chicago State vs. Southern Utah (1-4)
Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017 - 2 p.m., CT
SRC Arena - Riverside, Calif.
Live Stats

This Week: Chicago State volleyball makes its first trek to the state of California of the season to compete in the UC Riverside/Cal State Fullerton Invitational this weekend. The Green and White open the tournament at UC Riverside tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m., central time before traveling to Fullerton for a match at CSF later in the day at 9 p.m., central. CSU concludes the tournament back in Riverside on Saturday afternoon against Southern Utah beginning at 3 p.m., central. Other teams competing this weekend with aforementioned teams are Howard and San Jose State.

Scouting CSU: The Cougars come into this weekend's tournament sporting a 1-2 record on the year after opening the season last weekend at the Hampton Inn Leatherneck Invitational in Macomb, Ill. CSU posted a 3-0 win over Manhattan before dropping its next two matches to Evansville (1-3) and host Western Illinois (0-3). Junior outside hitters Carmen Carvajal (Lugo, Spain/I.E.S Lucus Augusti) and Lauryn Dela Cruz (Provo, Utah/Timpview), the reigning WAC Player of the Week, are tied for the team lead in kills with an average of 4.10 per set while Dela Cruz has produced a team-leading 6.50 digs per set. Freshman setter Lacee Adams (Muncie, Ind./Muncie Central) ranks first in the WAC in assists at 12.20 per set.

Scouting UCR: UC Riverside enters this weekend's slate with a 2-1 season record after it claimed victories against Fairleigh Dickinson and Drake with a three-set loss to Bryant at the Cal State Fullerton Titan Invitational last week. The Highlanders are led in kills by senior right side hitter Brooke Callahan with an average of four per set to go along with 3.30 digs a set. Junior setter Chelsea Doyle has produced a team-best 13.40 assists per set, redshirt freshman defensive specialist Nicole Rodriguez is averaging a team-high 5.80 dps, and redshirt freshman middle blocker Yuliya Ushakova holds team leads in hitting percentage (.393) and blocks (1.00 per set).

Scouting CSF: Like UCR, Cal State Fullerton also holds a 2-1 record entering the weekend after posting a pair of three-set wins over Fairleigh Dickinson and Bryant at its Titan Invitational last week in addition to dropping a five-set decision to Drake. Junior outside hitter Madeline Scheider has posted a team-best 3.00 kills and 2.82 digs a set, while redshirt sophomore setter Nastassja Bowman is recording a team-high 11 assists a set and freshman libero Savahna Costello ranks first in digs at four per set. Junior middle blocker Summer Kerins leads the Titans with a .400 hitting percentage and 10 total blocks (one solo, nine assisted – 0.91 bps).

Scouting SUU: Southern Utah brings a 1-4 record into Cali after opening this week's slate with a 3-0 defeat to Utah Valley Tuesday night at Centurion Arena. Last weekend, SUU opened the season at the Charlotte Invitational in Charlotte, N.C., with a 3-0 win over South Carolina State, and losses to Elon (1-3), Belmont (1-3) and host Charlotte (2-3). Senior outside hitter Macky Fifita leads SUU with 3.84 kills per set and is second on the team in digs at 2.74 per set. Sophomore setter Alexis Averett is dishing out a team-best 9.15 assists a set, while the Thunderbird defense is paced by freshman outside hitter Mckenzie Van Uitert (3.42 digs per set) and senior middle blocker McCail Evans (1.11 blocks per set).

Dela Cruz Earns WAC POW Honors: Dela Cruz became the first CSU player to capture WAC Player of the Week honors on Monday after averaging 6.50 digs and 4.10 kills per set with three double-doubles last weekend at the Hampton Inn Leatherneck Invitational. She currently leads the league in digs per set and is tied for the league lead in kills per set.

Up Next: Chicago State continues its season-opening road swing on Tuesday, Sept. 5 with a mid-week match in downstate Peoria, Ill., against host Bradley in a live broadcast on ESPN3 with a start time of 6 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

#2 Lacee Adams: S; 5' 7"; Freshman

#6 Carmen Carvajal: OH; 5' 10"; Junior

#8 Lauryn Dela Cruz: OH; 5' 8"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#2 Lacee Adams
: 5' 7"; Freshman
: S

#6 Carmen Carvajal
: 5' 10"; Junior
: OH

#8 Lauryn Dela Cruz
: 5' 8"; Junior
: OH

Scoreboard

Players Mentioned

#2 Lacee Adams

#6 Carmen Carvajal

#8 Lauryn Dela Cruz

Players Mentioned

#2 Lacee Adams

#6 Carmen Carvajal

#8 Lauryn Dela Cruz